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continued...
*Aurgh!* Lamena growled loudly, pinning her sister to the ground, Maneno struggling and flailing wildly to break free of Lamena's grasp. Quickly, Lamena's jaws closed in on Maneno's throat, creating teeth marks, but not biting down hard enough to break the skin. With a violent shake and a low, bulldog-like growl, Lamena hissed out, *I suggest you stop struggling, or you will have several nasty cuts on your throat!* She emphasized the point by biting down hard enough, her teeth sinking in, still not breaking the skin.
Maneno's reaction was not immediate submission. In fact just the opposite, she thrashed about, her body twisting and convulsing, her talons raking Lamena's skin, causing very shallow, barely visible, yet still bleeding wounds on her arms and sides. That's what made Lamena bite down harder, soon after which her sister went limp, her eyes glaring balefully at Lamena. She curled her upper lip slightly and uttered a low, annoyed, but defeated snort. *Fine. But do not give me visuals.. it is bad enough that I have to be present when he marks our new territory.* As Lamena let go, Maneno rolled to her front, rising and shaking sand off of her body, out of her crest.
Smirking, satisfied, Lamena nodded, simply stating, *Agreed.* With a sigh and a snort, she started back toward Gnash and Vicca. *Let's hurry up and get back... they should be done by now. Besides...* she added with a bit of a glare, *I've got to wash out a few stinging wounds.* She licked a few of the scratches present on her arms with a slight wince, and growled softly, turning again and travelling down the sand dune, toward the elderly raptors.
Maneno sighed exhasperatedly, her eyes narrowing, but decided her sister was annoyingly right. If they didn't get back soon, they'd be in for yet another lecture. She waited a few seconds, then hopped over the dune crest, half-trotting, half-sliding down the hill, nearly tripping once or twice on her way down.
As the sisters trotted back toward their nest, the young male followed close behind, one sand dune behind them. His eyes gleamed slightly with the possibility of courting one of these beautiful females.. especially the dominant one. Lost in his thoughts of how he would initiate courtship, he acsended a dune, and froze. The two had stopped right at the bottom, a valley between two hills. He quickly slunk out of sight, backtracking a few steps.
*...and then we need to find food somehow in this desert! How are we..!* Maneno stopped cold in her tracks. She jerked her head up and took in long, deep sniffs. "Someone's here.." she looked around, her feathers bristling slightly, pupils dilating and contracting steadily.
Lamena caught the scent, too, and growled deeply, looking up the dune they'd just passed. *There.. It's a male!* She stopped, looked at Maneno, motioned her close and whispered to her, *You go around to the right, I'll go left. He can't escape both of us!*
Nodding in agreement, Maneno padded to the right, resisting growling like a bulldog, her tail lashing with anticipation. -A male.. here? Did he follow us? He didn't smell of our clan..- she thought. -But if he didn't follow from our territory.. how can he survive here..?- These questions she thought as she and Lamena stalked the male.
Lamena wasn't so mentally inquisitive. -How DARE he stalk us like this! Who does he think he is!?- She snorted and extended her claws, opening her jaws and showing her teeth. She rounded the dune and found him, at the top, watching her. She hissed, *Who are you?! Why are you following us!?*
The male, looking back to find Maneno climbing up the dune, smirked mentally at her foolishness, and hopped down the sand, slightly left of Lamena. He spoke with a smooth, silky voice. *My name is Daishik,* as he approached, he became slower, going slowly into a submissive, non-threatening pose, with his foreclaws tucked in close, claws hidden, and body held low, *and I live around here. This is my land. I believe if there are trespassers, I've the right.. to examine them. Am I wrong?* He rose out of his posture, let his claws dangle freely, eyes gleaming with mock anger. *Because if I am mistaken, I'd be OH so grateful if you would correct my erroneous ways..* He stood, tail lashing, crest rising, filling out.
Maneno squealed as she lost her footing, tumbling down the sand dune, head over tail, catching Lamena and Daishik off-guard, bowling right into the male, the two crashing to the ground in a tangle of arms, legs, claws, and curses. Lamena, startled, takes a few steps back, until she realizes it was her idiot sister who caused the male to "leap" at her. *Maneno! You clumsy fool!* She hauls her sister to her feet, and drags her back to the territory, leaving the male dumbfounded, confused. After a moment, he decides he'll stay here, until nightfall; then, he will look for the females, and find out where their 'nest' is.